


more to live for

by sweetgoodgraciousangel



Category: Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: Angst, Bede cries bc Opal says she’s proud of him lol, found family trope
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-22
Updated: 2019-11-22
Packaged: 2021-02-26 01:00:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,641
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21524854
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sweetgoodgraciousangel/pseuds/sweetgoodgraciousangel
Summary: It’s no surprise the child has his guard up the majority of the first week spent with her.
Relationships: Beet | Bede & Opal
Comments: 22
Kudos: 879





	more to live for

It’s no surprise the child has his guard up the majority of the first week spent with her.

Opal had briefly seen Bede at the opening ceremony, but hadn’t truly taken an interest in him until she spotted him in Hammerlocke, a discontent expression on his face, hands shoved in the pockets of that fuschia pink coat of his—

She knew right away what happened. Mind you, Opal had never truly come to like Chairmen Rose or that big attitude assistant of his. But Opal was far too old for drama, her body not too keen on straining itself for a public statement of distaste for the sake of her opinion.

It grew that much more when she’d realized that Oleana had used the child and discarded him, as if he weren’t showing great potential as a trainer already. As if, he simply, wasn’t a child in the first place. Bede was a younger boy, no older than 14—young enough to still be influenced by any type of environment he was in, and it was evident the structure he did have wasn’t very beneficial for him.

The first week, he’s a recluse. Unsurprisingly, even as she puts him through tough and thorough training. He has all the skill and pink required to have this gym passed down to him fully when the time came. His strength and technique was not something to bat an eye at, but his attitude about battle (and in general) was something Opal would like to tone down a little. 

“Arrogance doesn’t suit you,” she says casually as she slides a plate full of a hearty dinner over to him. Sweat beads his brow, face flushed with heat from the rough trials he’d gone through that day. He’d gotten frustrated at a couple of points, but she allowed him to simmer down and get himself together before letting him try again. 

He’s the type to keep throwing himself at something until he succeeds, which isn’t _necessarily_ a bad thing. But doing so to the point of blaming yourself for each failure, until it builds up to irritation and confusion, rendering you useless of finding a way to succeed the next attempt—they could work on that. 

Bede doesn’t touch the food. 

“I’m talented,” he finally replies. “Elite. Why would I not be proud of myself when I win?”

“Child, there is a vast difference between confidence and arrogance. Confidence is congratulating yourself while shaking the hand of your opponent, thanking them for a wonderful battle. Arrogance is taking the victory all to yourself, which you wouldn’t even have without the other person. Would you?”

Bede doesn’t say anything, conveniently beginning to eat. 

Opal chuckles. She knew she’d reached him.

He’s a lot more shy than she expected, admittedly. When the day is done, he and his team exhausted, he retires to his room after eating and stays without another peep. He’s not a conversationalist nor really goes out of his way to socialize. To each their own, Opal decided. It would make Bede the wonderfully mysterious fairy gym leader. He might just surpass Opal in that.

She knew he’d began to shift his outlook just slightly when she’s walking along one of the beautifully lit paths of Ballonea when she found herself taken aback slightly. 

The boy was crouched, a feathered toy in his hand, enticing a wild Morelull to come closer. Ballonea was so perfectly woven in with the forest that it was to be expected that wild Pokémon would like to wander in and inspect the area. Bede hadn’t originally taken very much interest in Ballonea itself when he originally came (she remembered the disinterested look in his eyes, freshly disowned by Rose and coping with the fact Oleana used him—Opal’s heart has seen a lot in her life, but the near empty look on the child’s face was enough to make her want to put forth as much effort as she could to ensure there was still something left for him to fight for), but slowly she feels a smile light up on her face, mirroring Bede’s own when the Morelull finally approaches him and takes a little swing at the toy.

She suspected he wasn’t a very playful child. He would entertainment his Pokémon for their sake, but clearly had no real interest in the activity himself. The happiness of his Pokémon was what he was truly after in the end.

That evidently was changing.

She was again taken aback the second week into his training to find he’d walked out of his room without that large coat on. He wore it for something comforting and familiar to him, but that day he walked out in sporty leggings and a comfortable gray turtleneck. He looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to say something, to remark about it—but instead, she holds out a warm cup of tea and gently pats his shoulder, and tells him to drink up and eat his breakfast quickly so they could get started for the day.

He does as told. That night, when he’s worn out and they’re sharing dinner, Bede is a little more talkative. Only a little. It’s enough progress to make her happy though. He’d arrived to her wrapped tightly in a barrier he was terrified to let down (as much as he would never ever admit that) and slowly, but surely, Opal was convincing him in little ways he could let it down. The world may be unkind, but he had all the reason to know she would never turn her back on him.

Not like Rose had. _Never_ like Oleana had.

Later that same week, Opal approached him with a freshly stitched, stylish, and significant uniform for him. He raised an eyebrow curiously as she held out the neatly folded clothes. He took them, careful not to wrinkle the fabric.

“You should try it on,” she encouraged with a smile. He’s clearly hesitant, but going against his better judgment, he walked back into his room and shut the door.

Opal waited with eagerness. Pink and the fairy typed suited the boy more than anyone else she’s ever seen before.

The door opened again about a handful of minutes later. He looked a little stiff in it, a little uncertain, but Opal slowly approached him with a smile. The shirt had to be fitted around his waist with a knot, but from the shoes to the shirt, he was the picture perfect image of the fairy type gym leader she’d imagined for him.

“It suits you very well,” she said, once more holding out a cup of warm tea for him. “Finish up your breakfast and we’ll get right to it today.”

The tension in the child’s shoulders slowly melted after that. Another breakthrough. For some reason, he doesn’t look at her through the remainder of their morning meal. His face has flushed pink, flustered and unsure what to say. She knew he had difficulty talking about anything negative dwelling within him, but in time Opal knew he would open up to her more than he already had. Their small talk at dinner, the continuous growth of him socializing, playing somewhat—even if it was just him with wild Pokémon—and the confidence he clearly felt in his uniform…

Opal would say she’s doing a fine job with him.

Two nights later though, he broke.

He’d done the best job he’d ever done at his training that day. Opal is relaxing, Bede allowing her to oversee him toss a foam ball at a wild Impidimp. While the creature was far too shy to return it to him closely, it rolled the ball back to him and he would toss it again. They were having fun at least.

“Bede,” Opal says abruptly. He turned his head just as the ball brushes his fingertips again. He stands and straightens himself out.

“Yes?”

“Have I told you how proud I am of you?”

He freezes in place. She can clearly see how rigid he is, unsure of how to immediately cope with those words. He releases a slow breath he seemingly doesn’t notice he’d held in, shifting his eyes away from her. He doesn’t know what to say.

“I… well…”

“You look a lot happier than when I first came and collected you, you know. That, above all, is enough to make me incredibly proud of you.”

He dropped the ball. The Impidimp in the distance has seemingly taken that as a conclusion they were done playing, so it turns and leaves. Bede doesn’t notice.

Opal uses her umbrella as support to stand from her seat, approaching him and patting him lightly on his shoulder. He looks at her hand with an owlish gaze, and before he can stop it—

A tear has rolled down his cheek.

She smiles. 

“You’re going to go so far in life. You’ll be a great gym leader and so much more,” she says. It’s not just fluff or a bunch of random commentary to make him believe false things. No, the child had been through enough of that in his life. Clearly, he’d never seen anyone this tender or caring toward him. She knew the entirety of his past and story, after all. A little digging and snooping into public records (his face, a young and kind boy, with Rose’s name all over the paper—about sending the boy to school, making it all about Rose and a few words about him) had been enough to tell her everything she needed to know.

He wipes the tear away in a hurry. He’s at a loss for what to say, but eventually he smiles—a very genuine smile, the smile of a fairy—and nods.

“Those words mean a lot to me, Ms. Opal.”

She nods herself.

“I know.”

**Author's Note:**

> hi I love bede kick my ass that’s my son


End file.
